EZRA MOMENT – (23MAY19) Some of the exiles returned with Ezra
on his trip back to Jerusalem. After sending for some of the Levites to join
them in going to Jerusalem to serve the Lord’s house, Ezra proclaimed a fast so
that they could receive the favor and protection of God. The trip that they
were on was a dangerous one because they had articles of gold, silver, and
other valuables that were going to be used in the Lord’s temple. This could
have attracted thieves who would have done them harm to take what they had.
Nevertheless, Ezra knew that God would provide a hedge of protection around
them, so that they may arrive safely at their destination. He did not think
that it was wise to ask the king to send guardsmen with them because he did not
want it to be seen as a lack of faith – consequently, destroying the witness of
how mighty of a God he served.
There are times when what is logical may conflict with our
faith. It would have been logical for Ezra to ask the king to send an armed guard
to escort them to Jerusalem for safe passage, but what would have been the
message that came across to the foreign king? Logic does not always coincide
with faith and oftentimes faith will put logic to shame. When we have faith
that God will move on our behalf, this means not doing things on our own
accord, but only operating as the Holy Spirit leads. Logic tells us to handle
things ourselves. Faith tells us to rely on God and follow His lead. Something
to ponder…
QUESTION OF
THE DAY – (23MAY19) Ezra received a bad report that trouble him deeply. He was
told that while the Israelites were in exile, some of the priests, Levites, and
other men had married heathen women, who belonged to some of the nations that the
Lord had forbidden them to intermarry with according to the Law of Moses. Not
only had they married them, but some of them had children with them. This news
greatly distressed Ezra, for he knew that this was displeasing to the Lord. He
went before the Lord to pray on behalf of the people and repent for the sins
that they had committed against Him.
When we read
this passage, we should ask ourselves, “Are we intercessors on behalf of our
sinful nation as Ezra the priest was?” Does it pain us to see how far we have
fallen as a nation before God? Do we weep when we see children being sexually
exploited for the world to see? Do we cry out for those who are on the streets
homeless, addicted to drugs, prostituting their bodies, and/or have no where to
go? Do we grieve for even our brothers and sisters within the four-walls who
are blind and being led astray by wolves in sheep’s clothing? Ezra did not act
as if every day was a Friday, but he lamented before the Lord because of the
sins that his nation had committed against God. When we stop caring for others,
we then stop having a heart for God. Cain asked God the question, “Am I my
brother’s keeper?” The correct response is an astounding YES. We are the ushers
who are here to help usher people into the presence of the Lord. We must ALL
take an active part in winning the lost. Our hearts should grieve over the
unsaved because every single day, someone is being lost for all eternity. People need to know that there is no redo. There
are no retakes. There is no such thing as reincarnation. You only get one shot
and then there is the judgment either before the Bema Seat of Christ or the
Great White Throne. Something to ponder…
EZRA MOMENT
– (23MAY19) There was some cleaning out that had to be done when the exiles
returned to Jerusalem. They agreed that they would rid themselves of their
foreign wives and children so that they could be obedient to the Lord. God had
forbidden them to intermingle and intermarry with foreign nations, but they did
not follow the Lord in this while they were exiled. Disobedience was what led
them to be exiled in the first place, so they knew that they had to be obedient
to God in order to be in right standing with Him. From the priests all the way
down to the commoner, they had to rid themselves of the stain of sin from
within their midst. Therefore, those who had committed this act of sin against God
made a pledge before Him to honor Him by not allowing themselves to be united
with heathens.
Some may
think that this was harsh and cruel to the foreign wives and children, but what
was wrong was for them to be disobedient to begin with. Israel knew the Law and
yet, they had forsaken what they knew to be right and did what pleased them
instead. As a result, their sin had harsh consequences. They were to be an example
to the other nations about God because through them was the promise of
salvation to come. Unfortunately, they had not done a good job in setting an
example, but became just as wicked and idolatrous as their heathen neighbors.
When we sin,
we too must rid ourselves of the things that caused us to go astray. Sometimes,
that will include friends, jobs, entertainment, organizations, television
programs, books, movies, magazines, music, fun spots, and other things that led
you from God. For “some” people, it may be money, clothes, cosmetics, automobiles,
or anything that may not necessarily be a sin, but you have made it into a god.
For those who are unmarried, the Bible says to not be unequally yoked with
unbelievers. Why is this? While some think that they can win the other person
to Christ, in most cases, the other party is the one who is doing the winning.
Therefore, this is why God established laws – not to be a dictator, but to look
out for our best interest. Something to ponder…
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